CHAPTER

13
LEARNING OBJECTIVES ENTREPRENEURSHIP
After studying this chapter, you DEVELOPMENT
should be able to:

d
SEEDS OF VIRCHOW
¾ state the meaning of the

e
terms, ‘entrepreneur,’ Until 1981 Narayan Reddy, M.Sc.
Organic Chemistry, had been working

h
‘entrepreneurship’ and ‘enterprise’;
for a pharmaceutical company where he

T s
had developed a molecule. He was
¾ distinguish between

i
contemplating commercial utilisation of

l
entrepreneurship and that molecule by setting up a small-scale

R
management and discuss the unit – much smaller than what he

b
characteristics of actually started. Actually, he met two

E
entrepreneurship; medicos, who had just returned from a
Gulf country and were looking for some

C u
productive avenue for investment of
¾ explain the need for their savings (remember the Gulf

p
entrepreneurship; crisis?), Reddy’s idea appealed to them.

N re
Thus, the willing entrepreneurs met–
¾ describe the roles and functions where there is a will there is a way–
of the entrepreneurs; and the seeds for the venture were

© e
sown. After a detailed study of the
technical, economic, commercial and
¾ identify the entrepreneurial financial feasibility of the idea of

b
competencies; manufacturing a bulk drug from the
molecule, ‘Virchow Laboratories’ was
¾ explain and follow the process started in 1982 as a SSI with an initial

o
investment of Rs. 28 lakhs – Rs. 8 lakh
of entrepreneurship

t
in the form of equal contribution by the
development; and three promoters and Rs. 20 lakh
funding from the Andhra Pradesh

t
¾ identify the values, attitudes State Finance Corporation (APSFC).

o
and motivation for a plunge in Project implementation was even more
entrepreneurship. challenging as he set out to acquire land,
construct factory, purchase equipment,

n
negotiate with suppliers, potential
customers and obtain environmental,
drug control and other clearances.
Initially, it was he who acted as the pivot
of the enterprise wheel. In the course of
time, a strong managerial team was put
in place and thanks to persistent
emphasis on good management
 BUSINESS STUDIES
382

practices, Virchow emerged as the world’s largest and the best producer of the basic
drug from the chosen molecule. In fact, web search on ‘Virchow Laboratories’ takes
you to the home page saying “Welcome to Virchow Group of Companies”, the group
comprising 4 companies with Virchow Laboratories being the flagship company.

d
INTRODUCTION And, in the process, entrepreneurship

e
becomes crucial for overall economic
Entrepreneurship is the process of development of a nation.
setting up one’s own business as distinct

h
Given its important role in the
from pursuing any other economic overall scheme of economic development,

T s
activity, be it employment or practising it is interesting to note that not

i
some profession. The person who many persons opt for a career in

R l
set-up his business is called an entrepreneurship. Traditionally, it was
entrepreneur. The output of the process, believed that entrepreneurs are born.

E b
that is, the business unit is called an No society can wait for the chance
enterprise. You may invoke ‘subject- of ‘birth’ of entrepreneurs to pursue its

C u
verb-object (SVO)’ relationship in English developmental plans. In fact, plans for

p
grammar to clearly understand these economic development would bear
terms. (See Figure on SVO Analogy) little fruit unless entrepreneurship

N re
It is interesting to note that development is regarded as a deliberate
entrepreneurship besides providing process of making people aware of
self-employment to the entrepreneur is entrepreneurship as a career at an early

© e
responsible to a great extent for creation age and creating situations where they
and expansion of opportunities for the may actually make a choice to become

b
other two economic activities, that is, entrepreneurs.
employment and profession. (Can you When you make this choice, you
think why and how?) Further, each become a job-provider rather than a

o
business gives rise to other businesses– job-seeker, besides enjoying a host of

t
the suppliers of raw materials and other financial and psychological
components, service providers (be it rewards. Taking to entrepreneurship is

t
transport, courier, telecom, distributor surely more a matter of aspiring to
middlemen and advertising firms, become an entrepreneur rather as

o
accounting firms and advocates etc. being born as one.

n Entrepreneur

The Person/The Actor

Subject
Entrepreneurship

The Process/The Act

Verb
Enterprise

The Outcome
Object

SVO Analogy

T s h
R l i
E u b
THE CONCEPT OF
C
N re p
Entrepreneurship: All in your Hands
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
© e
You are aware that entrepreneurship
is regarded as one of the four major
factors of production, the other three
b
being land, labour and capital.
However, it should surprise you that
as regards its French origin, the term
o
‘entrepreneurship’ (derived from the
t
verb ‘entreprende’ meaning ‘to
undertake’) pertained not to economics
t
but to undertaking of military
expeditions. So is true of many terms
o
in management such as strategy (a
n
course of action to beat the competition,
the ‘enemy’) and logistics (movement of
men and machines for timely
availability), etc. Historically, as wars
are followed by economic recons-
truction, it should be no surprise that
military concepts are used in
economics and management. It may be
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
383
e d
pointed out that whereas the wars are
rare and far between, in today’s
competitive world, entrepreneurs wage
wars everyday. There is a tremendous
pressure to continually develop new
products, explore new markets, update
technology and devise innovative ways
of marketing and so on.
The term ‘entrepreneur’ was first
introduced in economics by the early
18th century French economist Richard
Cantillon. In his writings, he formally
defined the entrepreneur as the “agent
who buys means of production at certain
prices in order to sell the produce at
uncertain prices in the future”. Since then
a perusal of the usage of the term in
economics shows that entrepreneurship
implies risk/uncertainty bearing;
coordination of productive resources;
introduction of innovations; and the
provision of capital.
 BUSINESS STUDIES
384

We would like to define entrepre-
neurship as a systematic, purposeful
and creative activity of identifying a
need, mobilising resources and
organising production with a view to
does one first of all decide to choose own
business as a career; how does one
sense a market opportunity; how does
one muster up courage to embark
upon it, and mobilise the requisite

d
delivering value to the customers, resources, etc.; so much so that
recourse to entrepreneurship, in

e
returns for the investors and profits for
the self in accordance with the risks common parlance, is considered as an
exclusive preserve of a few gifted

h
and uncertainties associated with
business. This definition points to certain individuals. In the following paragraphs,

T s
characteristics of entrepreneurship that our effort would be to establish

i
we turn our attention to. entrepreneurship as a career that you

R l
should aspire for. Remember, resources
may be limited, aspiration need not be.

b
CHARACTERISTICS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

E
So, you can aspire for something
In the SVO formulation of the concepts greater, bigger than your present status

u
and resources. And start today.

C
of entrepreneur, entrepreneurship and
Remember, aspiration means desire

p
enterprise, we saw that entrepreneur-
ship is about the process of setting up multiplied by action.

N re
a business. One cannot help but 1. Systematic Activity: Entrepre-
marvel at the beauty of the process: how neurship is not a mysterious gift or

© e
b
to
o t
n
Nurturing Success

charm and something that happens
by chance! It is a systematic, step-by-
step and purposeful activity. It has
certain temperamental, skill and other
knowledge and competency requirements
that can be acquired, learnt and
developed, both by formal educational
and vocational training as well as by
observation and work experience. Such
an understanding of the process of
T s
entrepreneurship is crucial for dispelling
i
the myth that entrepreneurs are born
R l
rather than made.
b
2. Lawful and Purposeful Activity:
E
The object of entrepreneurship is lawful
u
business. It is important to take note
C
of this as one may try to legitimise
p
unlawful actions as entrepreneurship
N re
on the grounds that just as
entrepreneurship entails risk, so does
illicit businesses. Purpose of entrepre-
© e
neurship is creation of value for
personal profit and social gain.
3. Innovation: From the point of
b
view of the firm, innovation may be cost
saving or revenue-enhancing. If it does
o
both it is more than welcome. Even if it
does none, it is still welcome as
t
innovation must become a habit!
Entrepreneurship is creative in the
t
sense that it involves creation of value.
o
You must appreciate that in the
absence of entrepreneurship ‘matter’
n
does not become a “resource.” By
combining the various factors of
production, entrepreneurs produce
goods and services that meet the needs
and wants of the society. Every
entrepreneurial act results in income
and wealth generation. Even when
innovations destroy the existing
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
385
industries, for example, zerox machines
destroyed carbon paper industry,
mobile telephony threatens landline/
basic telephony, net gains accruing to
the economy lend such entrepreneurial
d
actions as commendable as the acts of
creative destruction.
e
Entrepreneurship is creative also
h
in the sense that it involves
innovation- introduction of new
products, discovery of new markets
and sources of supply of inputs,
technological breakthroughs as well as
introduction of newer organisational
forms for doing things better, cheaper,
faster and, in the present context, in a
manner that causes the least harm to
the ecology/environment. It is possible
that entrepreneurs in developing
countries may not be pioneering/
innovative in introducing path-
breaking, radical innovations. They
may be the first or second adopters of
technologies developed elsewhere.
That does not make their achievement
small. For imitating technologies from
developed world to the indigenous
setting is quite challenging. A lady
entrepreneur wanting to introduce
thermal pads for industrial heating
faced tremendous reluctance form the
owners of chemical and sugar mills
despite the established superiority of
her products over the conventional
heating of the vessels by burning of
wood/coke or using LPG. Moreover,
there is no need to suffer from “it was
not invented here” complex– there is
no need to reinvent the wheel. The
global electronics major, Sony did not
invent the transistor! It used the
 BUSINESS STUDIES
386
transistor to build entertainment
products that are world leaders.
4. Organisation of Production:
Production, implying creation of form,
place, time personal utility, requires
the combined utilisation of diverse
factors of production, land, labour,
capital and technology. Entrepreneur,
in response to a perceived business
opportunity mobilises these resources
T s
into a productive enterprise or firm.
i
l
It may be pointed out that the
R
entrepreneur may not be possessing
b
any of these resources; he may just
E
have the ‘idea’ that he promotes among
u
the resource providers. In an economy
C
with a well-developed financial system,
p
he has to convince just the funding
N re
institutions and with the capital so
arranged he may enter into contracts
of supply of equipment, materials,
© e
utilities (such as water and electricity)
and technology. What lies at the core
of organisation of production is the
b
knowledge about availability and
location of the resources as well as the
optimum way to combine them. An
o
entrepreneur needs negotiation skills
t
to raise these in the best interests of
the enterprise. Organisation of
t
production also involves product
o
development and development of the
market for the product. Besides,
n
entrepreneur may be required to
develop even the sources of supply of
requisite inputs. For example, whether
it is a matter of putting together an
automobile manufacturing unit or
manufacture of burger/pizza, besides
cultivating a market and developing
products to suit its tastes and
preferences, there would be a need to
develop a pool of suppliers of the
diverse components or elements that
go into their manufacture.
5. Risk-taking: As the entrepreneur
d
contracts for an assured supply of the
e
various inputs for his project, he incurs
the risk of paying them off whether or
h
not the venture succeeds. Thus,
landowner gets the contracted rent,
capital providers gets the contracted
interest, and the workforce gets the
contracted wages and salaries.
However, there is no assurance of profit
to the entrepreneur.
It may be pointed out that the
possibility of absolute ruin may be rare
as the entrepreneur does everything
within his control to de-risk the
business. For example he may enter
into prior contract with the customers
of his production. So much so that he
may just be contract manufacturer or
marketer of someone else’s products!
What is generally implied by risk-
taking is that realised profit may be
less than the expected profit.
It is generally believed that
entrepreneurs take high risks. Yes,
individuals opting for a career in
entrepreneurship take a bigger risk
that involved in a career in employment
or practice of a profession as there is
no “assured” payoff. (See Box above)
In practice, for example, when a person
quits a job to start on his own, he tries
to calculate whether he or she would
be able to earn the same level of income
or not. To an observer, the risk of
quitting a well-entrenched and
promising career seems a “high” risk,
 ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
387

Understanding Entrepreneurial Returns and Risks

Entrepreneurial returns are based on a mathematical expectation, E (Ri) where
the subscript ‘i’ shows that there are a number of possible rates of return
from a business decision, say, 20%, 18%, 17% and 15%. Actually, there may

d
be quite a large distribution of alternative returns from an investment decision,
we have taken just 4 observations to keep it simple. Supposing all these returns

e
are equally likely, then E (Ri) would be the simple average of these returns.
That is, E (Ri) = φ = 20+18+17+15/4= 17.5%. In other words, the expected

h
returns from the entrepreneurial decision in this case are 17.5 %. Risk can
be measured in terms of a measure of variation around this expectation, more

T s
precisely it is the standard deviation of the distribution of returns or óRi. In

i
this case it works out be 1.8 %. In other words, actual or realised returns may

R l
deviate from expected returns to the extent of 1.8%. Clearly, higher the value
of standard deviation, larger the risk. It is often said that higher the risk

E b
greater the returns. What this means is as under:
(a) for a given risk, a rational person would prefer a higher than or equal to

u
the expected returns.

C
(b) for a given return, a rational person would prefer a lower risk.

p
(c) should the risk increase, there should be at least a proportional increase

N re
in returns.
(d) because the risk runs either ways, that is, realised returns may be more
or less that the expected returns, entrepreneurs who are incorrigibly
optimistic, tend to believe that variation would only be one-sided, that is,

© e
on the higher side.

b
but what the person has taken is a risk situations as business ceases to
calculated risk. The situation is be a game/fun! Risk as such more
similarly to a motorcyclist in the ‘ring than a financial stake, becomes a matter

o
of death’ or a trapeze artist in circus. of personal stake, where less than

t
While the spectators are in the awe of expected performance causes
the high-risk, the artists have taken a displeasure and distress.

t
calculated risk given their training, The characteristics of entrepreneur-

o
skills, and of course, confidence and ship discussed as above apply in
daring. It is said that the entrepreneurs diverse contexts, so does the usage

n
thrive on circumstances where odds
favouring and against success area
even, that is 50:50 situations. They are
so sure of their capabilities that they
convert 50% chances into 100%
success. They avoid situations with
higher risks as they hate failure as
anyone would do; they dislike lower
of the term, viz., Agricultural/Rural
Entrepreneurship, Industrial entrepre-
neurship, Technopreneurship, Netpre-
neurship, Green/Environmental or
Ecopreneurship, Intra-corporate/firm
or Intrapreneusrhip and Social
entrepreneurship. In fact, entrepre-
neurship has come to be regarded as a
 BUSINESS STUDIES
388
‘type of behaviours’, whereby one,
(i) rather than becoming a part of the
problem, proactively tries to solve it;
(ii) uses personal creativity and intellect
to develop innovative solutions;
(iii) thinks beyond resources presently
controlled in exploiting the emerging
opportunities or attending to the
impending problems; (iv) has the
conviction to convince others of one’s
T s
ideas and seek their commitment
i
towards the project; and (v) has the
R l
courage of heart to withstand
adversities, persist despite setbacks
b
E
and be generally optimistic.
u
C
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
p
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
N re
Entrepreneurship is about business
start-ups and renewals. That is, it
appears at the time of starting a new
© e
business, disappears for some time in
the course of stabilising the venture as
b
an on-going business and reappears in
case there is a need for introducing
changes in product, market, technology,
o
structure and so on. In fact, it is said that
t
everyone is an entrepreneur when he
actually ‘carries out new combinations,’
t
and loses that character as soon as he
has built up his business, when he
o
settles down to running it as other people
run their businesses. In developed
n
countries, the distinction between the
entrepreneurial focus on start-ups and
managerial focus on routine is so sharp
that it is argued that once the project
has reached a level of maturity, the
entrepreneurs must move out and the
managers must come in.
In developing countries, however, the
concept of owner-manager seems more
apt for entrepreneurship as the
entrepreneur remains attached even to
the day-to-day operations of the venture.
d
In fact, their lacking in managerial skills
e
is often forwarded as the cause of
business failures. Just as managers are
h
expected to play entrepreneurial roles in
the times of need, likewise the
entrepreneurs must also demonstrate
managerial abilities for the success of
their ventures. Irrespective of whether the
entrepreneurs pave way for the managers
or they themselves assume the
managerial responsibilities, it is possible
to distinguish between the terms
entrepreneurship and management. (See
the table on next page)
NEED FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Every country, whether developed or
developing, needs entrepreneurs.
Whereas, a developing country needs
entrepreneurs to initiate the process of
development, the developed one needs
entrepreneurship to sustain it. In the
present Indian context, where on the
one hand, employment opportunities
in public sector and large-scale sector
are shrinking, and on the other,
vast opportunities arising from
globalisation are waiting to be exploited;
entrepreneurship can really take India
to the heights of becoming a super
economic power. (See the Box entitled
‘India Needs Entrepreneurs’)
Studies by Global Entrepre-
neurship Monitor, a research programem
involving annual assessment of the
 ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
389
Differences between Entrepreneurship and Management

S. Basis of Differentiation Entrepreneurship Management

No.
1. Focus Business start-up Ongoing operations of

d
an existing business

e
2. Resource orientation The entrepreneur A manager is
does not feel constrained by the

h
constrained by resources at his
resource. disposal

T s
Entrepreneur

l i
mobilises the

R
resources

E b
3. Approach to the task Informal Formal

u
4. Primary motivation Achievement Power

C p
5. Status vis-à-vis the Owner Employee
enterprise

N re
6. Primary economic reward Profit Salary

© e
7. Innovation orientation Challenges the Maintains the
status quo, that status quo
is, the existing

b
8. Risk orientation Risk-taker Risk-averse

9. Approach to decision- Driven by inductive Driven by deductive

o
making logic and personal logic and research

t
courage and
determination

t
10. Scale of operations Small business Large business

o
11. Primary skill requirement Opportunity Organising, systems

n
spotting, initiative, design and operating
resource procedures, people
negotiation management

12. Specialisation orientation Generalist has to Specialist

know and do all
the trades
by himself
 BUSINESS STUDIES
390

India needs Entrepreneurs

It needs them for two reasons: to capitalise on new opportunities and to create
wealth and new jobs. A McKinsey and Company–Nasscom report estimates that
India needs at least 8,000 new businesses to achieve its target of building a $ 87
billion IT sector by 2008. Similarly, in the next 10 years, 110-130 million Indian

d
citizens will be searching for jobs, including 80-100 million looking for their first

e
jobs; that’s seven times Australia’s population. This does not include disguised
unemployment of over 50% among the 230 million employed in rural India. Since

h
traditional large employers – including the government and the old economy players –
may find it difficult to sustain this level of employment in the future, it is

T s
entrepreneurs who will create these new jobs and opportunities.

i
Source: http://www.uwcsea.edu. (First published in India Today,

R l
February 2001)

E b
national level of entrepreneurial activity the absence this function, all other

u
across a number of countries (visit, resources, namely land, labour and

C
www.gemconsortium.org) show that capital would remain idle. They may

p
differences in the levels of entrepreneurial not be inventing/discovering the

N re
activity account for the differences in
the level of economic growth to the
extent of as much as 33%.
products, their role in commercial
exploitation of the advancements in
science and technology via organisation
of the productive apparatus makes the

© e
What is that the entrepreneurs do
to affect economic development? This other resources productive and useful.
leads us to a discussion of the functions So much so that it is said that in the

b
of the entrepreneurs in relation to absence of entrepreneurial intervention,
economic development. As the every plant would remain a weed and
enterprise is the object of their every mineral would remain a rock.

o
endeavour, it is also necessary that we 1. Contribution to GDP: Increase in

t
examine their functions in relation to the Gross Domestic Product or GDP is
the enterprise as well. the most common definition of economic

t
Thus, the need for entrepre- development. You are aware that income

o
neurship arises from the functions the is generated in the process of
entrepreneurs perform in relation to the production. So, entrepreneurs generate

n
process of economic development and
in relation to the business enterprise.
FUNCTIONS OF ENTREPRENEURS IN
RELATION TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
You are aware that entrepreneurs
“organise” the production process. In
income via organisation of production be
it agriculture, manufacturing or services.
You are also aware that income
generated is distributed among the
factors of production where land gets
rent, labour gets wages and salaries,
capital gets interest and the residual
income accrues to the entrepreneur in

the form of profits. As rent and interest
accrue to those few who have land and
capital respectively whereas larger
masses are destined to earn their
incomes via wage employment, the
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
391
Ratio (COR); more precisely Incremental
Capital Output Ratio (ICOR) that
measures the percentage increase in
capital formation required obtaining a
percentage increase in GDP. So, if a

d
biggest contribution of the country desires to grow @ 10.0 % p.a.
entrepreneurship lies in capital

e
and its ICOR is 2.6, then it must ensure
formation and generation of capital formation @ 26.0% p.a.

h
employment. This is what we turn our Entrepreneurs, by investing their own
attention to. savings and informally mobilising the

T s
2. Capital Formation: The entrepre- savings of their friends and relatives

i
contribute to the process of capital

l
neurial decision, in effect, is an

R
investment decision that augments the formation. These informal funding

b
productive capacity of the economy supplements the funds made available

E
and hence results in capital formation. by the formal means of raising

u
In fact, GDP and capital formation are resources from banks, financial

C
related to each other via Capital Output institutions and capital markets.

N re p
© e
b
to
o t
n
Capital Formation
 BUSINESS STUDIES
392
3. Generation of Employment: Every
new business is a source of employment
to people with different abilities, skills
and qualifications. As such
entrepreneurship becomes a source of
livelihood to those who do neither have
capital to earn interest on nor have the
land to earn rent . In fact, what they earn
is not only a livelihood or means of
sustenance but also a lifestyle for
T s
themselves and their families as well as
i
personal job satisfaction. As such
R l
entrepreneurs touch the lives of many,
b
directly as well as indirectly.
E
4. Generation of Business
u
Opportunities for Others: Every new
C
business creates opportunities for the
p
suppliers of inputs (this is referred to
N re
as backward linkages) and the
marketers of the output (what is
referred to as forward linkages). As a
© e
pen manufacturer you would create
opportunities for refill manufacturers
as well as wholesalers and retailers of
b
stationery products. These immediate
linkages induce further linkages. For
o
example greater opportunities for refill
t
manufacturers would mean expansion
of business for ink manufacturers. In
t
general, there are greater opportunities
for transporters, advertisers, and, so on.
o
So, via a chain-reaction, entrepreneurship
provides a spur to the level of economic
n
activity.
5. Improvement in Economic
Ef ficiency: You are aware that
efficiency means to have greater output
from the same input. Entrepreneurs
improve economic efficiency by,
a. Improving processes, reducing
wastes, increasing yield ,and,
b. Bringing about technical progress,
that is, by altering labour-capital
ratios. You are aware that if labour
d
is provided with good implements
(capital), its productivity increases.
e
6. Increasing the Spectrum and
h
Scope of Economic Activities:
Development does not merely mean
‘more’ and ‘better’ of the existing, it
also and more crucially means
diversification of economic activities–
across the geographic, sectoral and
technological scope.
You are aware that underdeveloped
countries are caught in the vicious cycles
on the demand as well as supply side.
Entrepreneurs penetrate into and break
these cycles, for example, by organising
and orienting domestic production for
exports. Thus, production (and thereby
generation of income) is not constrained
by the inadequacy of domestic demand.
(Demand-side Vicious Cycle). In today’s
context, you are aware that India is poised
to become a manufacturing hub for the
global markets for diverse products.
Economic development is also
constrained by the supply-side
pressures resulting into absence of
capacity to meet the demand whether
domestic or overseas. Entrepreneurs
mobilise local and even overseas
resources to augment the productive
capacity of a country. Indian
Multinational Giants is fast becoming
a reality.
Entrepreneurs lead the process of
economic development via bringing

Small-Scale Entrepreneurship among Marginalised Groups in India
Marginalised Groups
Women Entrepreneurs
Scheduled Caste (SC) Entrepreneurs
Scheduled Tribes (ST) Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs from the Other
Backward Classes (OBC)
T i
Source: Third Census of Small Scale Industries in India, Ministry of Small
R l
Scale Industries, Government of India
b
about sectoral change. You must be
E
aware that as the economies grow,
u
percentage of GDP originating from
C
agriculture decreases and that
p
originating in industry and services
N re
sectors goes up. Entrepreneurs through
their decisions to divest from the stale
sectors and invest in green-field sectors
© e
bring about a virtual transformation of
the economy from ‘underdeveloped’ to
an ‘emerging’ and ‘developed’ status.
b
7. Impact on Local Communities:
Entrepreneurship, in its natural
habitat, that is, small business is a great
o
leveler. You may see from table on
t
marginalised groups. That small-scale
entrepre-neurship enables such
t
marginalised groups as women, SC, ST
o
and OBC to pursue their economic
dreams. As there are no entry barriers
n
in terms of educational qualifications,
entrepreneurship is an even more
attractive career option for such
marginalised groups.
Agro-based rural industries and craft-
based cottage industries can really catapult
local communities to socio-economic
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
393
Proportional Representation
in Overall Entrepreneurship (%)
8
d
8
e
4
h
49
s
success stories. Local governments do
their bit in developing these
entrepreneurship clusters with a view to
encouraging inter-firm collaboration and
development of common facilities. entitled,
‘Entrepreneurship Clusters in India.’
In regard to the development of
entrepreneurship for impacting local
communities, some corporate-sector
initiatives also deserve a mention. ITC
through their ‘e-Chaupal’ (visit http:/
www.itcportal.com agri_exports/
e-choupal_new.htm) and HLL through
their ‘Shakti’ (visit www.hllshakti.com)
initiatives have sought to mobilise
native entrepreneurs for improving the
lot of those lying at the bottom of the
economic pyramid.
8. Fostering the Spirit of Exploration,
Experimentation and Daring:
Economic development, among other
things, requires breaking away from
the shackles of traditions and beliefs
that restrict growth. For example if
‘crossing the seas’ were a taboo, there
would not have been international trade
and the resultant economic growth.
 BUSINESS STUDIES
394

Indian Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Clusters

With a contribution of 40% to the country’s industrial output and 35% to
direct exports, the Small-Scale Industry (SSI) sector has achieved significant
milestones for the industrial development of India. Within the SSI sector, an
important role is played by the numerous clusters that have been in existence

d
for decades and sometimes even for centuries. According to a United Nations

e
Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), there are 388 SSI clusters
having 4,90,000 enterprises, employing 7.5 million persons with an output of

h
Rs. 160,000 crore p.a. The number. of entrepreneurs in these clusters has
been growing @ 15-18% p.a. over the last ten years. Besides, there are

T s
approximately 2000 rural and artisan based clusters in India.

i
Some Indian SSE clusters are so big that they account for 90 per cent of

R l
India’s total production output in selected products. As for example, the
knitwear cluster of Ludhiana and Hosiery cluster in Tripur in Tamil Nadu.

b
Almost the entire Gems and Jewellery exports are from the clusters of Surat

E
and Mumbai. Similarly, the clusters of Chennai, Agra and Kolkata are well

u
known for leather and leather products.

C
However, the majority of Indian clusters, especially in the handicrafts sector,

p
are very small with no more than hundred workers, so specialised that no

N re
other place in the world matches their skills and the quality of their output.
This is the case, for example, of the Paithani sarees cluster in Maharashtra.
However, only a tiny minority of such artisan clusters are globally competitive.

© e
The formidable challenges created for the SSE sector by the liberalisation
of the Indian economy, as well as its closer integration within the global
economy, have generated a great deal of interest within India on novel

b
approaches to SSE development. As a result, both private and public sector
institutions at the Central as well as the State levels are increasingly
undertaking cluster development initiatives.

o
Source: www.smallindustryindia.com

t
The established ways of life need to be cricket team from the villagers who had
challenged and change must be seen not even seen the game? Don’t the feats

t
as an opportunity to improve rather of Karasn Bhai of ‘Nirma’ who

o
than something to be scared of. challenged ‘Surf’ from the mighty
Entrepreneurs, through their urge to Hindustan Lever Limited make you

n
do something new, seeing change as an
opportunity, experimenting with the
novel ideas and showing the courage
to try them prepare a fertile ground for
persistent economic development. Have
you seen the Hindi movie ‘Lagaan,’
where the protagonist Bhuvan raises a
proud of the daring of the
entrepreneurs?
Thus, whether one looks at economic
development narrowly in terms of the
increase in GDP or in the wider context
of economic, institutional and social
change, entrepreneurship plays a

crucial role. Global Entrepreneurship
Monitor studies report a lag of 1-2
years between entrepreneurial
activity and economic development,
suggesting that it takes time for the
impact of entrepreneurship on
economic development.
An important observation needs be
made here. While entrepreneurship
leads to economic development, the
T s
vice-versa is also true. That is,
i
economic development also fosters
l
R
entrepreneurship development. Growing
economies provide a fertile soil for the
b
E
flourishing of entrepreneurship, an aspect
u
that we will take up while discussing
C
entrepreneurship development.
p
N re
ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURS IN RELATION
TO THEIR ENTERPRISE
© e
Drawing an analogy from musicology
in explaining the role of the
entrepreneurs in relation to their
b
enterprise, one may say that an
entrepreneur is not only the composer
of the musical score and the conductor
o
of orchestra but also a one man band.
t
His roles and functions get much
broader in scope in a developing
t
country context like ours. entitled ‘Role
o
and Functions of the Entrepreneur in
Relation to his/her enterprise.’
n
These elements are no sequential as
the figure may convey, the entrepreneur
may have to address to all these elements
simultaneously. Yet, depending upon
their backgrounds, the individual
entrepreneur may prefer one over the
other. For example, technicians tend to
be over obsessed with the production
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
395
aspect; those with marketing background
may over emphasise creation of market.
Investor type entrepreneurs may be
over concerned with the returns from
the project. One should resist the
d
temptation of looking at the business
only from one’s own narrow perspective.
e
Having said this, it is apt that we
h
provide a brief description of the
various issues that may be relevant at
each stage.
Opportunity Scouting: Entrepreneurial
opportunities have to be actively
s e a rc h e d f o r. O n e m a y r e l y o n
personal observation, discovery or
invention. Personal/professional
contacts/networks and experience or
may also help in identifying business
opportunities. Alternatively, one may
rely on published reports, surveys
and the like. Narayan Reddy of
Virchow Laboratories relied on the
personal discovery of the molecule during
his employment with a pharmaceutical
company. As observation means
seeing/hearing/smelling with a
purpose, opportunity spotting
presupposes tendency to look at the
things and phenomenon from an
entrepreneurial mindset. Most of us
have a consumer’s mindset. If we see
any object of desire, may be a pen,
laptop, latest model of the mobile
phone or somebody eating pizza or
burger, we crave to have the same thing
for ourselves. The entrepreneurial
mind, on the other hand starts
working out, what would be the
market size, where to procure it from
and at what price, will I able to woo
the customers from the existing
BUSINESS STUDIES
396

Roles and Functions of the Entrepreneur in relation the Enterprise

Developing Exchange Relationships
1. Perceiving market opportunities
2. Gaining command over scarce resources

d
3. Purchasing inputs

e
4. Marketing of Products and responding to competition

h
Political Administration

T s
5. Dealing with public bureaucracy (approvals, concessions, taxes)

i
6. Managing human relations within the firm

R l
7. Managing customer and supplier relations.

b
Management Control

E
8. Managing finance

C u
9. Managing production

p
Technology

N re
10. Acquiring and overseeing assembly of the factory
11. Industrial engineering (minimising inputs with a given production
process)

© e
12. Upgrading the production process and product quality
13. Introducing new production techniques and products.

b
Note: The scope of the entrepreneurial functions varies with the level of
economy in which the entrepreneur operates; scale of production/operations;

o
and entrepreneurs’ comparative efficiency in utilising managerial employees.

t
In developed countries, entrepreneurship assumes upon themselves the
responsibility of introducing innovations and after some time, pave way for

t
the managers. In large-scale organisations, entrepreneurs provide leadership
and there is a team of managers to look after specific aspects of enterprise.

o
Likewise, those entrepreneurs who have the ability and willingness to delegate
may concentrate on a select few, strategic aspects of enterprise.

n
In terms of the process of setting up a business, therefore, an entrepreneur
is on the look out for and spots the business opportunity, assesses its value,
develops it in the form of a product/service idea, assembles he resources
and gets going.
Source: Peter Kilby, (ed.), Entrepreneurship and Economic
Development,? New York: The Free Press, 1971.
 ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
397

Resource mobilisation

Scanning the environment for entrepreneurial opportunities

e d
h
Development of product/service idea

RT l i
Assessment of feasibility of the idea and preparation of a business plan

s
E u b
Appraisal by the funding agencies

C
N re p
Project Commissioning and launch

© e Adaptation and management of growth

b
Process of Setting up a Business

o
players and how– by selling it offers a huge and varied pool of

t
cheaper, by providing more value or technical manpower that makes it a
by better service and so on. cost effective destination for in-bound

t
Entrepreneurial opportunities may global outsourcing in manufacturing
also be identified through a process of as well as Information Technology

o
research of international, domestic, Enabled Services (ITES).
sectoral/ industrial analysis.

n
For example, post WTO,
international trade and investment have
become freer of restrictions. Textile
quotas are being phased out, and, there
are greater opportunities for textile and
textile made-ups from India. Global
outsourcing is on the rise and India
Identification of Specific Product
Offering: While the environment scan
leads to the discovery of more
generalised business opportunities,
there is a need to zero in on to a specific
product or service idea. For example,
trade liberalisation since WTOs has
resulted in export opportunities, but
 BUSINESS STUDIES
398
the question is what to export and
where? You may be required to compile
a country-product matrix to be able to
decide. (See proforma)
This way you may arrive at the
product-market combination showing
the fastest growing import and from
your point of view export potential.
Deciding on the product offering
makes the highest demand on the
T s
entrepreneur’s creativity and
i
innovativeness. Yet, in a competitive
R l
environment, it is possible to
differentiate your product offering even
b
E
if the generic product is the same and
u
serves the same need.
C
Clearly decision on specific
p
product offering necessitates decisions
N re
on who is buying, why, and what are
the value expectations. You will be able
to succeed when the value delivered
not only meets but also exceeds
© e
customers’ expectations and create a
‘Vow!’ impact.
b
Feasibility Analysis: The product
offering idea must be technically feasible,
that is it should be possible with the
o
available technology to convert the idea
t
into a reality. And this should be
possible at a cost that can be covered
t
by the price it will fetch; in other words,
the idea must be economically feasible
o
too. The project cost should be within
n
the resources available and the resource
providers should be reasonably sure of
an appropriate return on (profit) and
International State of the
Environment Domestic Economy
IDS Analysis for Entrepreneurial Opportunities
return of (safety and liquidity) of their
investments. That is, the idea must be
financially viable as well. There should
be enough sales in the immediate and
the prospect of growth in the foreseeable
d
future; there should be adequate
e
assurance on the commercial viability
of the chosen product offering. Now a
h
day, it is also important to be sure that
there aren’t any environmental and
other legal restrictions/necessity of prior
approvals for setting up the business.
It is also to be decided as to whether the
business will be organised as a
proprietary concern/partnership firm/
company or cooperative entity.
Clearly the chosen product offering
must be feasible from the diverse
perspectives. You must compile these
findings in the form of a business plan
that would have to be submitted to the
funding authorities, in the Indian
context, the State Finance Corporation
of your area. They may be having a
prescribed proforma in which the details
of the business plan are required to be
furnished and, as such there may a
need to adapt the contents accordingly.
An idea about the generic contents of a
business plan may be had from.
The business plan may be
appraised by the funding institution,
and upon satisfying itself about the
desirability of assisting your project
and upon the furnishing of some
margin money it may sanction the loan
State of the
Sector/Industry
 ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
399

Countries
Products

A B C D E
Import Statistics for Immediately Preceding Years
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

d
X1

e
X2

h
X3

T s
X4

l i
X5

E R b
Proforma Country-Product Matrix
amount. Recall, Narayan Reddy and his view to starting the manufacture and

u
two other associates provided Rs. 8 marketing the product.

C p
lakhs and the APSFC contributed As noted earlier too, entrepreneurial
Rs. 20 lakhs toward the overall project functions do not come to an end with

N re
cost of Rs. 28 lakhs. Upon the project the business start-up. He often looks
approval, the entrepreneur can proceed after its day-to-day operations and
for project commissioning, that is strives for its stability and growth.

© e
putting up the factory premises, Entrepreneurial roles and
installing the equipment, obtaining the functions clearly seem onerous.
supplies of the input materials with a Perhaps that is why many shy away

Need of the

b Generic Product Examples of Differentiating

o
Customer Specific Offering

t
• Size
• Zero Waiting time

t
• Dine- in/Carry Away

o
Delivery

n
Food Burger • Add-ons e.g., Beverage/
Chips or No-frills
• Choice of Fried/Grilled
• Customisation of topping,
choice of ingredients

Product Differentiation
 BUSINESS STUDIES
400

to simpler, softer and safer options of
employment and practice of
profession. Entrepreneurial going may
be tough; but then that is where the
tough get going! Do not worry if
between the person and the
environment. Ultimately the choice of
entrepreneurship as a career lies with
the individual, yet he must see it as a
desirable as well as a feasible option. In

d
presently you may find yourself short this regard, it becomes imperative to
on those competencies, values and look at both the factors in the

e
attitudes. It is just a matter of making environment as well as the factors in the

h
up your mind for a career in individual as having a nearing on the
entrepreneurship and grooming perception of desirability and feasibility

T s
yourselves for it. This takes us to the and thereby entrepreneurship

i
discussion of the process of development. One may, therefore, model

R l
entrepreneurship development. the process of entrepreneurship
development in terms.

E b
THE PROCESS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP In general, capitalist economy with
its emphasis on individual achievement

u
DEVELOPMENT

C
is more suitable for entrepreneurship.

p
Entrepreneurship does not emerge Lower rates of taxation on personal
spontaneously. Rather it is the outcome income, lower rates of interest and

N re
of a dynamic process of interaction moderate inflation stimulate

© e
Technical

b
to
Administrative/Legal Economic

o t
n
Commercial Financial

Aspects of Feasibility Analysis


entrepreneurial activity. (Can you think
why it is so?) Moderately low external
value of domestic currency or in other
words, moderately lower exchange
rates, stimulate import substituting
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
401
An important enabler or disabler of
entrepreneurship is the prevailing
socio-cultural milieu. Those societies
that respect individual freedom to
choose among occupations, that

d
and export promoting entrepre- encourage the spirit of enquiry,
neurship. (Can you rationalise why?). exploration and experimentation,

e
Well developed financial system, good celebrate individual accomplishment
infrastructure, helpful bureaucracy all

h
and in general accord important status
these have a favourable impact on to the entrepreneurs are likely to have

T s
entrepreneurship. Specially designed self-sustaining supply of able and

i
and dedicated institutions such as willing men and women for taking to

R l
National Institute for Entrepreneurship entrepreneurship as a career.
and Small Business Development (visit,

E b
niesbud.nic.in), Entrepreneurship THE ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN
Development Institute of India (visit,

u
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT

C
www.ediindia.org) that conduct
Mr. Narayan Reddy was desirous of

p
entrepreneurship awareness and
entrepreneurship development starting a small scale industry and also

N re
programmes (EAPs and EDPs) a further had a sense of efficacy or readiness to
fillip to this activity. pursue it given his qualifications,

© e
Business Plan

b
1. Executive Summary
2. Business/industry background

o
3. Product/service to be offered

t
4. Market analysis
5. Sales and marketing strategy

t
6. Production/operations strategy

o
7. Management
8. Risk factors

n
9. Funds required
10. Return on and off investment and exit routes
11. Use of the sales proceeds
12. Financial summaries
13. Appendices, e.g., Reports on Market Survey,
Financial Statements, Track Record etc.
 BUSINESS STUDIES
402

experience and the necessary values, entrepreneurship. They could be having

attitudes and motivation (the opening a low perception of self-efficacy either
case does not elaborate this. We will on account of lack of resources (or to be
discuss these at suitable places). Even more correct, resourcefulness),
you may like to see as to where do you knowledge or know-how, and the skills.

d
find yourself on the desirability Collectively, these are referred to as
(willingness)-efficacy (ability) matrix,

e
competencies, which now we turn our
won’t you? attention to.
As you may see from the matrix

h
figure able and willing men and women ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCIES

T s
are a “ready” source of entrepreneurship.

i
Such persons leap up the first Every opportunity and successful

l
performance of every role and function

R
opportunity comes their way to be on
their own. Recall, Narayan Reddy leapt has a competence requirement. Its true

b
of entrepre-neurship as well. entitled

E
up the opportunity as he met the two
medicos who had returned from the Gulf. ‘Cash OR KASH?’

u
At any point of time, there are The term ‘competence’ refers to a

C
many men and women who “want” to composite of knowledge, skills and a

p
set up a business of their own but host of psychosocial attributes

N re
experience self-perceived barriers to (including Attitudes and Motivation that

© e
Individual Personality:
competencies, motivations,
Environmental Influences:
Economic Development, Economic

b
values and attitudes Policy and Institutional Framework

to Shape

o t
Individual perception that Individual perception that

n
entrepreneurship is a “I can live up to the challenge
desirable career option of being on my own”

Entrepreneurship
Development

The Role of Environment in Entrepreneurship Development
Entrepreneurs bring about economic growth and development, and the
latter in turn provides a fertile soil for the flourishing of entrepreneurship.
There certainly is a mutually facilitating reciprocity between economic
growth and entrepreneurship development.
Entrepreneurship
RT l i
E b
we will be discussing separately) in a
person that mark his/her effectiveness
C u
for a task. The phrase ‘composite’ is
p
crucial. For example, the competence
“ability to communicate vision” is much
N re
more than proficiency in writing/
speaking skills. It would involve, just to
illustrate, vision clarity, understanding
© e
the audience background, interest and
readiness, knowledge about the media
and choosing the most appropriate one,
b
attracting attention, delivery, leaving not
merely an impression but also an
o
impact and, assessing effectiveness. So,
t
when the entrepreneur in the television
interview pointed out KASH as the
t
determinants of successful
entrepreneurship, he was indeed
o
referring to the competencies.
Competency approach to human
n
resource development in general and
entrepreneurship development in
particular was pioneered by David
McClelland, a Harvard University
psychologist in the late 1960’s and early
1970’s. (You will be learning more on
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
403
d
Economic
Development
h e
s
McClelland’s work when we discuss
entrepreneurial motivation.) McClelland
set out to define competency variables
that could be used in predicting job
performance and that were not biased
by race, gender, or socio-economic
factors. As a result, it becomes more
important to learn what a person does
rather than who he/she is. That is why
management and also entrepreneurship
is better defined as what a manager or
an entrepreneur does. Because
competencies can be built via a process
of education and development, we may
say that entrepreneurs are made.
What are the distinct competencies for
entrepreneurship? In this regard one may
refer to the efforts of Entrepreneurship
Development Institute of India (EDI), a
national resource institution in the area
of entrepreneurship education research
and development (visit, www.ediindia.org).
EDI has identified a set of 15
competencies that contribute toward
entrepreneurial performance and success.
These are briefly stated hereunder.
 BUSINESS STUDIES
404

Initiative: Acting out of choice rather Efficiency Orientation: Concern for

than compulsion, taking the lead conservation of time, money and effort.
rather than waiting for others to start. Systematic Planning: Breaking up
Sees and Acts on Opportunities: A the complex whole into parts, close
mindset where one is trained to look for examination of the parts and inferring

d
business opportunities from everyday about the whole; e.g. simultaneously

e
experiences. Recall ‘oranges’ example.

h
High

T s
Eager Ready

i
Entrepreneur Entrepreneur

R l
Desirability

E u b
C p
Not Ready Potential

N re
Entrepreneur Entrepreneur
Low

© e
Low High

b
Self-Efficacy

o
Efficacy-Desirability Matrix

t
Persistence: A ‘never say die’ attitude, attending to production, marketing and
not giving up easily, striving financial aspects (parts) of the overall

t
continuously until success is achieved. business strategy (the whole).
Information seeking: Knowing and

o
Problem-solving: Observing the
knowing who knows, consulting experts, symptoms, diagnosing and curing.
reading relevant material and an overall

n
openness to ideas and information.
Concern for High Quality of Work:
Attention to details and observance of
established standards and norms.
Commitment to Work Contract:
Taking personal pains to complete a
task as scheduled.
Self-confidence: Not being afraid of the
risks associated with business and
relying on one’s capabilities to
successfully manage these.
Assertiveness: Conveying emphatically
one’s vision and convincing others of
its value.
 ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
405

Cash or KASH
“What do you need to be a business person?” was the opening question the anchor of
a television interview asked an eminent business personality. “Caash” she heard and
though that her interview is going to be a spoil, for it was an answer so obvious and

d
exhaustive that there was not anything else to talk. Or this is what she thought.
The entrepreneur saved her day, “young lady,” he continued, “you seem to have got it

e
wrong!” “What I meant was not C_a_s_h_=Cash, but K_A_S_H= KASH!”
Interview was off to a flying start! And the interviewee went on to elaborate what he

h
meant, K=Knowledge, A=Attitude, S=Skills and H=Habits.

T i s
Persuasion: Eliciting support of others You would, now, be interested in

R l
in the venture. knowing as to how to build these
competencies. Knowledge competencies

b
Use of Influence Strategies: Providing

E
leadership. (what you know regarding facts,
technologies, a profession, procedures,

u
Monitoring: Ensuring the progress of

C
a job, an organisation, etc.) can be
the venture as planned.

p
developed by, for example by reading
Concern for Employee Welfare: and interacting with people who know.

N re
Believing in employee well being as the Skill competencies (what you say or do
key to competitiveness and success and that results in good or poor
initiating programmes of employee performance) can be acquired by

© e
welfare. practice, haven’t you heard “practice

b
to
o t
n
 BUSINESS STUDIES
406
makes a man perfect”? For example,
‘persuasion,’ and ‘use of influence
strategies’ require presentation skills.
You may do double the homework on
what you want to say, how you want
to say, who is your audience and what
are their backgrounds, what could be
the possible questions that may be
asked, what would be their answers
and so on. Practice it all over a number
T s
of times, may be before mirror or your
i
friends, so that when you are actually
R l
in that situation, you perform well.
E b
ENTREPRENEURIAL MOTIVATION
u
Men and women who have a perception
C
of self-efficacy and are yet to feel
p
interested in or motivated by the idea
N re
of being on their own comprise a
potential, future source of
entrepreneurship. What motivates a
© e
person is a question easier asked than
answered. Mr. Narayan Reddy was
driven by the desire to utilise his
b
discovery of the molecule as a business
opportunity. In terms of Maslow’s need
o
hierarchy theory, one may say that Mr.
t
Narayan Reddy was driven by the need
for self-actualisation. Since
t
entrepreneurial situation is characterised
by personal accomplishment in
o
competitive situations and involving
higher standards of excellence, one
n
often come across reference to ‘need for
achievement’ or N-ach for short as the
primary driver of entrepreneurial
behaviour. See Box entitled ‘How N-
Ach. Drives Entrepreneurship and
Economic Development’.
Need for Achievement (N-Ach.): Need
for achievement implies a desire to
accomplish something difficult. To
master, manipulate, or organise
physical objects, human beings or
d
ideas. To do this as rapidly and as
independently as possible. To overcome
e
obstacles and attain a high standard.
To excel one’s self. To rival and surpass
h
others. To increase self–regard by
successful exercise of talent. Yes
entrepreneurship provides you with the
best opportunity for making the best
use of your talents as in employment
the 9-5 routine, pressure to adhere to
rules and regulations, preference for
compliance of boss’s instructions over
the use of personal creativity and
innovativeness stifles your progress
and self-development. You can create
a work environment that suits your
abilities and interests.
Need for Power (N-Pow): Need for
Power is the concern for influencing
people or the behaviour of others for
moving in the chosen direction and
attaining the envisioned objectives. In
common perception, politicians, social-
religious leaders Chief Executive Officers
(CEOs), Government Bureaucrats/Civil
Servants typify the need for power. Such
a perception seems more based on the
belief that the source of power lies in
the “position” a person occupies in
organisational/societal context. In the
same vein, business ownership too may
imply a need for power. Moreover, you
would appreciate that the process of
founding a business, one has to win
the commitment of capital providers,

suppliers of equipment and materials,
the employees and that of the
customers. Power may not be used to
further one’s self- interests alone, it may
be also be used to touch the lives of
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
407
needs. Entrepreneurs are believed to be
low on affiliation, as they are and
expected to be, innovative, trendsetters
and tradition breakers. However, it is not
necessary that affiliation should only

d
others, to make a difference. interfere with achievement. In certain
Entrepreneurs driven by this socialised cultures, family comprises the bedrock

e
face of the need for power. They found on which the successful careers are

h
organisations that are a source of built. One works, as if, not for personal
sustenance and self- respect for many. gratification but for family. Desire to

RT l i
How N-Ach. Drives Economic and Entrepreneurship Development
s
b
Credit for investigating and bringing to the fore the role of need for achievement

E
goes to McClelland, the Harvard professor whom we referred to also in the
discussion of competency based approach to human resource and

u
entrepreneurship development. He set out to investigate why some countries

C
are more developed than others He sought to find answer to this question by

p
examining the proposition that ‘differences in the level of achievement

N re
motivation are responsible for ‘differences in the level of economic development’.
For this he examined the popular stories and folklore and readers up to primary
classes of 39 countries for finding out whether they focused on personal

© e
accomplishment, triumph of human courage and effort over the circumstances
and so on. McClelland’s research upheld the proposition that differences in
the levels of achievement motivation as revealed by the analysis of the stories

b
and the readers accounted for the differences in the level of economic
development. How? What would be the process? McClelland observed that
entrepreneurship becomes the medium through which the achievement

o
motivation manifests the best and through which the development takes off.

t t
Need for Affiliation (N-Aff.): Often you
must have heard your parents saying
that whatever they do they do it for their
carry on the tradition of business in the
family and the community to which one

o
belongs, may be interpreted as reflecting
children. If a man thinks about need for affiliation as well. In the

n
interpersonal relationships, he has a
concern for affiliation. It implies, among
other things a tendency of the people to
conform to the wishes and norms of
those whom they value. Apparently,
social activists, environmentalists,
teachers, and doctors and nurses may
seem as predominantly driven by these
countries with the colonial past, such
as ours, the first generation of
entrepreneurs in Independent India was
driven by patriotic fervor and the desire
to rebuild the economy left stagnated
by the alien rulers. One can certainly
trace some elements of affiliation
motivation in such instances.
 BUSINESS STUDIES
408
Need for Autonomy (N-Aut.): The
need for autonomy is a desire for
independence and being responsible
and accountable to oneself rather than
some external authority for
performance. It is the desire for an
opportunity for the fullest expression
of one’s abilities. In the context of
entrepreneurship, it is usually
interpreted as the determination not to
T s
work for someone else. In most job
i
situations, employees are given little
R l
freedom to exercise their discretion in
taking decisions and choosing a course
b
E
of action so much so that absence of it
u
drives them into starting their own
C
ventures. As such n-pow. becomes
p
more a desire for preserving one’s ethos
N re
rather than the freedom from the boss.
Take the example of another
Hyderabad based entrepreneur entitled
© e
Entrepreneurship for Preserving
Personal Work Ethos).
What does the above discussion
b
mean for entrepreneurship development?
It means that for promoting entrepre-
neurship it is important to kindle and
o
arouse the right motivation. In the
t
absence of motivation, even able men
and women may not take to entrepre-
t
neurship. Hence. In every Entrepre-
neurship Awareness Programme (EAP)
o
or Entrepreneurship Development
n
Programme (EDP), there are special
sessions on entrepreneurial motivation,
besides sessions on entrepreneurial
competencies.
You may note that motivation and
ability can positively reinforce each
other. Persons having abilities search
for the avenues for their expression and
hence are drawn to entrepreneurship.
Persons eager to be on their own may
strive hard to acquire the necessary
competencies to realise their dreams.
d
How truly one has said that
e
entrepreneurs are the dreamers
who do!
h
In explaining and developing
entrepreneurial motivation, it is
important to learn that different
individuals are motivated differently, and
that one may be trying to satisfy more
than one need through one’s pursuit.
This is an important observation as
economic theory very simply says that
the objective of the firm or that of the
entrepreneur is profit maximisation.
ENTREPRENEURIAL VALUES AND
A TTITUDES
While explaining human behaviour,
one often comes across the terms
values and attitudes. Rather than
attempting to distinguish between these
two terms, it would be sufficient to say
here that taken together, entrepreneurial
values and attitudes refer to the
behavioural choices individuals make
for success in entrepreneurship. The
word ‘choice’ is important, as there are
alternative ways of behaving too.
In entrepreneurship, a host of
behavioural tendencies or orientations
have been reported as having a bearing
on success. The entrepreneur in ‘Cash
or KASH’ labeled these as ‘Habits’,
some researches have called these as
policies or strategies. Be it the decision

to make a choice about entrepreneurship
as a career, be it the decision to choose
the product line, growth strategy, profit
making and social responsibility you
would be required to make choices. The
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
409
profile some of the dimensions relating
to starting and managing a business
and the associated behavioural
alternatives, we have considered here
two to keep the things simple. We have

d
choice that you make may have a highlighted those alternatives that have
tremendous impact on your been generally observed to be

e
performance. What we do here is to associated with superior performance.

h
Entrepreneurship for Preserving Personal Work Ethos

T i s
In industries having captive power plants, a day’s downtime can cause a loss

l
of crores of rupees. While working for a public sector electrical major, an

R
engineer found it really difficult to cope with the bureaucratic attitude in

b
servicing the customers. It clashed with his personal value, ‘client’s problems

E
be attended first, paperwork can wait’. He quit the job and started a turbine

u
repairing and furbishing company. Incidentally, it takes more money to travel

C
or to transport than to repair or refurbish the turbine. But the downtime is

p
reduced and the clients are happy. Later the company also diversified into
the manufacture of the parts and commissioning of the captive power plants

N re
on a turnkey basis.

© e
b
to
o t
n
BUSINESS STUDIES
410

Behavioural Choices for Entrepreneurial Success

S. No. Dimensions Behavioural Alternatives
1. Type of Entrepreneurship Choose pioneering/innovative products
Choose tried and tested products

d
2. Business Decision Choose business as per qualifications/experience
Grab whatever opportunity comes your way

e
3. HRM: Recruitment Policy Recruit trustworthy, dependable and obedient employees
Recruit qualified and trained professionals

h
4. Managing Growth: Pace Grow only at/to manageable pace/extent

T s
Make a hay while the sun shines

i
5. Organising: Ability Supervise closely

l
to Delegate Delegate and decentralise

R
6. Marketing Management: Sell hard what you produce

b
Marketing Concept Produce according to customers’ requirements

E
7. HRM: Compensation Reward good performance by additional

u
increments/promotions

C
Reward just as you please

p
9. Managing Growth: Grow around core-competence

N re
Direction Grab whatever opportunity comes your way
10. Marketing Management: Change the product only if absolutely necessary
Product Planning Innovate/improvise continually
and Development

© e
11. Operations Management: Locate the business near social contacts
Locational Decision Locate purely on economic merits
12. Operations Management: Increase profit by negotiating hard with suppliers,

b
Cost Rationalisation workers and customers
Reduce cost by cutting the overheads and
improved efficiency

o
13. Managing Competition Fight the competition

t
Avoid competition
14. Planning: Approach to Scan the environment for business information

t
Decision-making Rely on intuition/judgment

o
15. Organising: Formalisation Do everything by yourself
Appoint specialists and professionalise the systems

n
16. Ethics Never compromise on business ethics
Everything is fair in love, war and business
17. Succession Planning Plan and train a successor
Business will find a successor
18. Planning: Time Horizon Have a long term perspective
Live your business day-by-day
19. Operations Management: Invest in R and D
Research and Development R and D is an ill-affordable luxury
 ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
411

KEY TERMS
Entrepreneurship Enterprise
Entrepreneurial Risks Experimentation
Exploration Rural Entrepreneurship

d
Entrepreneurial Opportunities Entrepreneurial Competencies

SUMMARY

h
The terms ‘entrepreneur,’ ‘entrepreneurship’ and ‘enterprise’ can be understood
e
T s
by drawing an analogy with the structure of a sentence in English language.

l i
Entrepreneur is the person (the subject), entrepreneurship is the process (the

R
verb) and enterprise is the creation of the person and the output of the process

b
(the object).

E
Entrepreneurs play important roles both in relation to economic development

u
and in relation to the enterprise. In relation to economic development, entrepreneurs

C
contribute to growth in GDP, capital formation and employment generation besides

p
creating business opportunities for others and bringing about an improvement

N re
in the quality of life in the community in which they operate. In relation to the
enterprise, they perform a number of roles right from the conception of a business
idea, examining its feasibility and mobilisation of resources for its eventual

© e
realisation as a business firm. They bear the uncertainties and risks associated
with the business activity, introduce product, market, technological and a host of
other innovations. In the developing country context they also assume the

b
responsibility for the day-to-day management of the enterprise.
Given its critical role in economic development at a broader level and business
start-ups at the micro level, it is imperative that a conscious effort be made to

o
popularise entrepreneurship as a career option. In this regard, EAPs and EDPs

t
can play an important role. Besides, there is a need to create an entrepreneurship
friendly environment. Since, entrepreneurship is the outcome of a dynamic

t
interaction between the person and the environment, there is need also for

o
developing entrepreneurial competencies, motivations, values and attitudes.

n
EXERCISES
Multiple choice questions
Put a tick against the most appropriate answer to the following questions.
1. Entrepreneurs undertake
a. Calculated risks
b. High risks
 BUSINESS STUDIES
412

c. Low risks
d. Moderate and calculated risks
2. In economics, which of the following is not a function of the entrepreneur?
a. Risk-taking

d
b. Provision of capital and organisation of production

e
c. Innovation
d. Day to day conduct of business

h
3. Which of the following statements does not clearly distinguish between

T s
entrepreneurship and management?

l i
a. Entrepreneurs found the business; managers operate it

R
b. Entrepreneurs are the owners of their businesses; managers are

b
employees

E
c. Entrepreneurs earn profits; managers earn salaries

C u
d. Entrepreneurship is once for all activity; management is a

p
continuous activity

N re
4. In the roles and functions of the entrepreneur identified by Kilby, which
of the following is not an aspect of ‘political administration’?
a. Dealing with public bureaucracy

© e
b. Managing human relations within the firm
c. Introducing new production techniques and products

b
d. Managing customer and supplier relations
5. Which of the following attitudes is not generally associated with

o
successful entrepreneurship

t
a. Investing in R and D
b. Live your business day by day

t
c. Innovate and improvise continually

o
d. Produce as per customers’ requirements
Short answer questions

n
1. Clarify the meaning of the terms ‘entrepreneur,’ ‘entrepreneurship,’ and
‘enterprise.’
2. Why is entrepreneurship regarded as a creative activity?
3. “Entrepreneurs undertake ‘moderate’ risks.” Elaborate this statement.
4. How does entrepreneurship result in increasing the spectrum and scope
of economic activities?
 ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
413
5. Describe briefly the role of achievement motivation in entrepreneurship.
Long answer questions
1. Describe briefly the steps involved in starting a new business.
2. Examine the nature of relationship between entrepreneurship and

d
economic development.

e
3. Clarify how motivation and abilities impact an individual’s decision to
choose entrepreneurship as a career.

h
Application question

T s
Anshuman was a very industrious sales executive with a small herbal cosmetic

i
manufacturer. He earned a good salary and commission on the business he

R l
brought for the firm and had very good command over the Delhi market for

b
which he had virtually become indispensable. He was aware of the enviable

E
position he held in the firm and thought aloud:

u
“The key to success in any business is the sale of its products. The beginning

C
and end of the business cycle is nothing but sale and “other” people working in

p
the factory to manufacture products are mere cogs in the business machine set

N re
in motion by sales people. So why carry this burden and get only a tiny share of
the prosperity of the firm? Instead others enjoying the fruits of my labour, why
should I not start my own business?”

© e
Should Anshuman take a leap? Give reasons for your answer.

Case Problem

b
Inspiring Feat: Dailywage Labourer Turns Entrepreneur
A landless woman from Bihar has been nominated among the top 25 farmers in

o
Asia by a Mexican website.

t
Forty-five-year old Lalmuni Devi was a daily wage labourer when she decided to
take destiny into her own hands and transformed herself into a successful

t
mushroom farmer. Today she manages to make Rs. 12,000 every year for an

o
investment of only Rs. 600.
Her feat finds mention on a Mexican website that has grouped her as the top 25

n
inspirational farmers in its photo gallery.
”I am a poor woman. I thought that mushroom farming would profit henceforth
I started it. Now I can earn a living for my family,” said Lalmuni Devi.

Successful enterprise
The success story has caught on with many women in the Azadpur village on
the outskirts of Patna.
 BUSINESS STUDIES
414

”It is effortless farming, which we can even do in our village. Working in the
scorching heat is very tiring. Mushroom farming generates more profit,” said
Urmila Devi.
Lalmuni and other landless women have been encouraged by the Indian Council
for Agriculture Research to take up mushroom farming.

d
”It is to help the poorest of the poor through alternative livelihood support system.

e
For that we have chosen a village where people have no land and they have to
share croppers,” said Dr A.R. Khan, Principal Scientist, ICAR, Patna.

h
Lalmuni’s efforts have paved the way for many other landless women to take up

T i s
mushroom farming and earn a livelihood for their family with little effort.

R l
Source: - www.ndtv.com/features downloaded on 15/3/2006 at 1.35 am

b
Question

E u
1. What inspiring feat did Lalmuni Devi perform?

C
2. Do you feel that you can also become an entrepreneur? Elaborate.

p
3. What qualities of an entrepreneur did Lalmuni Devi exhibit?

N re
4. What are the benefits and risks of becoming an entrepreneur? How can you
guard against the risks?

© e
(Teachers should highlight the qualities of an entrepreneur and motivate
students to do so. Help that is available from the government of India is
listed on the website www.india.gov.in.).

b
Project Work

o
1. Visit a newly started small business in your neighbourhood and interview

t
the owner. Prepare a report on how he/she decided to start the enterprise
and the difficulties he/she faced. Also include steps taken by the owner to

t
overcome them. Discuss the findings in the class.
2. Study the life history of great entrepreneurs, such as Dhirubai Ambani,

o
Jamshedji Tata, G.D.Birla or Kiran Mazumdar Shaw etc. Prepare a list of
common traits of these people and discuss them in your class. Can you

n
imbibe some of these qualities and start some enterprise later on in life?